Democratic Alliance press statement by Marius Redelinghuys MP DA National Spokesperson ANC must abandon, not rebrand cadre deployment policy The ANC’s recent pledge to ‘review’ its cadre deployment policy is empty rhetoric in the face of a serious problem. If the ANC was serious about curbing corruption and maladministration, it would completely discard cadre deployment and commit to appointing or electing people based on their capabilities, not political loyalty. For years, service delivery, state accountability and independence has been compromised by the ANC’s cadre deployment policy, and in turn cost the state and South Africans billions in lost funds and non-delivery every year. Cadre deployment is deliberately designed to destroy the separation of powers and ensure that state institutions act in the party’s interests. Even the National Development Plan (NDP) has identified an excess of political interference in recruiting for senior positions. According to chapter 13, “the current approach to appointments blurs the lines of accountability. The requirement for cabinet to approve the appointment of heads of departments makes it unclear whether they are accountable to their minister, to the cabinet or the ruling party”. If the ANC is serious about cutting corruption, particularly the corruption related to cadre deployment, it will implement the numerous policy recommendations we have made (and implemented where we govern) over the years, namely: • Prohibiting officials from doing business with government. • Greater parliamentary oversight over key appointments such as the National Police Commissioner, NDPP and SIU head. • Enforcing strict compliance with legal and regulatory requirements for governance and accountability. • Taking action against officials found guilty of misconduct. • Prohibiting people fired from a position due to maladministration from being redeployed elsewhere. • Active promotion of ethical and professional conduct and penalising those who fail to act accordingly. Closer examination of senior ANC members’ comments would suggest that this announcement has been motivated by a loss of votes in metros across the country as opposed to a genuine desire to deliver quality service delivery across South Africa. The ANC sang a similar tune after the ANC lost support in various metros during the 2011 municipal elections. Cadre deployment was highly criticised by ANC delegates at the partys national policy conference in Midrand the following year, but there was little to no subsequent follow through. South Africa deserves an accountable government that prioritises the needs of its people, not its own pockets. The DA will work tirelessly to promote policies that ensure appointment decisions are based on the capacity of candidates to deliver and implement them where we govern.
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 10:10:04 +0000
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